Nose tattooing device for cattle



April 15, 1952 c. s. CRANE ETAL NOSE TATTOOING DEVICE FOR CATTLE Filed 001:. 30, 1950 INVENTORS ROBERT A. Do VE CHARLES S. CRANE Eva/0&4; xa/uwa,

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 ,oFFIc NOSE TATTOOING DEVICE FOR CATTLE Charles'S. Crane and Robert A. Dove,

. Porterville, Calif.

Application October 30, 1950, Serial No. 192,958

3 Claims. (Cl. 128-329) The present invention relates in general to a device for marking cattle for'the tification.

The common method of identifying cattle with in a herd is the ear tattoo, which is not only difficult to apply, but often produces imperfect markings. Further, the ear tattoo requires complete restraint of the animal and close inspection of the ear in order for the tattoo to be read. The instant invention is directed in particular to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel device adapted to tattoo a predetermined identification mark into the nose of cattle; the nose tattoo being easily read at a glance at any subsequent date without confinement or restraint of the animal. i

A further object of the invention is to'provide a nose tattooing device for cattle which is easy to use, quick and positive in operation, and permanently marks the nose as an identification which may be used in lieu of the conventional ear tattoo: I

-An additional object of the invention is to provide a nose tattooing device for cattle which is arranged for ready substitution of the indicia blocks included in the device.

Still another object of the invention is to propurpose of idenvide a nose tattooing device for cattle which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

A still further objector the invention is to provide a practical and reliablenose tattooing device for cattle, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed; I Y y These objectsare accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

a Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 v is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a detached, perspective view of the cross head which supports the indicia blocks; the swinging lock-up bar being in open position, and one indicia block being shown in place.

'Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modification.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and at present to Figs. 1-3, inclusive, the novel, nosetattooing device for cattle comprisesan elongated barrel I ,fitted at its front end with a forwardly projecting, U-shaped yoke 2 which includes parallel legs 3; the yoke being mounted, at its rear end,

by means of an integral collar 4, to the front end of the barrel I.

At their free ends the legs 3 of the yoke 2 each include laterally outwardly projecting, forwardly curved locator wings 5.

At its rear end the barrel I is fitted with an enlarged circular hand pad or stop 6, which includes an integral hub or plug I threaded into the barrel. I

An elongated plunger rod 8 extends through the barrel I and projects beyond both ends thereof, being slidably engaged in a bore 9 through the hand pad. 6 and plug 1. outwardly of said hand pad 6 the plunger rod 8 is secured in the hub I0 of a pull-back ring II adapted for finger engagement. I

Some distance short of the front end of -the barrel I, the plunger rod 8 is formed with a cir-' cular guide head I2 which runs in said barrel; there being a relatively heavy-duty helical com.- pression spring I3 disposed in the-barrel I between the plug I and circular guide head I2, normally urging said head, together with the plung er rod 8, in a forward direction.

Ahead of the point of greatest advance of the circular guide head I2, theelongated'barrel I is formed, on top, with an opening I4, and a catch finger I5 depends through said opening and rides the plunger rod. The catch finger I5 is a laterally inwardly projecting portion of a longitudinal trigger arm I 6 which extends lengthwise of the barrel I on top thereof."

Intermediate its ends the longitudinal trigger arm I6 is transversely pivoted in connection with the barrel Ifas at H. A'leaf spring I8 engages between the barrel I and the 'rear end'portion of the longitudinal trigger arm I6, normallyurging the same in a direction which projects' th'e catchfinger I5 inwardly into engagement with the plunger rod 8.

Ahead of the circular guide head plunger rod t is formed with a series of longitudinally-spaced notches I9 whereby when the said plunger" rod is retracted'by the pull-back ring II against the spring I3 to load the device-,- the catch finger I5 snaps into one ofsuch notches I9 and maintainsxthe plunger. rodin 1a cocked position rearwardly for forceful advancef-by said spring. .r' J I A rectangular cross head 20isdisposed :between the legs 3 of yoke .2 and close thereto as shown in Fig. 1 for to and fro guided motion length-- wise axially of the device; .such cross head 20, in-v cluding a central integral nut 2I' at: the back into which the front end of the plunger rod 8 isthreadedfl. I "f 1 I y A relativelytnaripw shoulder 22 projectsforwardly from one transverse edge portion 'of'ithe cross head 20, and said shoulder is formed with a plurality of slots 23 extending therethrough, with the bottom of the slots flush with the outer face of the cross head 20. V

A plurality of indicia blocks 24 rest against the face of the crosshead 20 in side by side relation, and such indicia blocks include tongues 25 at opposite ends. 'The ton ues at one end seat in'the I2 I the slots 23, while the tongues at the other end are locked against the cross head by a swinging lockup bar 26 of right-angle configuration in cross section. Said swinging lockup bar 26 is pivoted at one end, as at 2], for swinging motion between an open position, as in Fig. 3, to a closed position, as in Fig, 2; said bar, in the latter position, being releasably secured in place by a securing screw 28 which is then straddled by anotch N in the bar adjacent the end opposite the pivot 21.

The indicia blocks 24 each include a plurality of fixed, forwardly projecting tattoo needles 29 arranged in predetermined pattern reflecting the mark or brand of the user.

In use of the above described device, the tattoo needles 29 are first immersed in a tattooing fluid, and then the plunger rod 9 is cocked in the mannerpreviously described, which cocking retracts the cross head 20 to a position some distance rearwardly in the yoke 2.

Thereafter, the yoke 2 is engaged with the nose of the animal; the locator wings 5 facilitating the operation.

Immediately upon the device bein located, the trigger arm I6 is depressed at its rearward end, retracting the catch finger l5, whereupon the plunger rod 8 and cross head 20, rapidly and forcefully advance, penetrating thetattoo needles 29 into the-nose of the animal, imparting a most effective tattoo mark on such nose.

When it is desired to apply a different mark it is only necessary to release the swing bar 26 and substitute new indicia blocks 24 after the previously used ones have been removed from the cross head.

In Fig. 4' we illustrate a simplified embodiment of the invention.

I-Iere the device comprises a plunger rod 30 having a hand'engaging pad 3| fixed to its rear end. At its front end the plunger rod 30 is fitted with a cross head type tattooing unit, indicated generally at 32, and which unit is of exactly the same construction as described in detail in connection with, the embodiment of Figs. 1-3, inelusive.

In use of the simplified embodiment of the device, the plunger rod 30 is merely gripped in the hand; the tattooing unit 32 is then placed close to the animals nose; and lastly a forceful manual blow'isimparted to the pad. 31:, which drives the tattoo needles 33 into the animals noseto apply thetattoo mark.

From the. foregoing description it will'be readily seen that there-has been produced-such a device substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still. inpractice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of' the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon 6 which Letters'Patent are desired:

1. A device for applying a tattoo identification mark to an animal, comprising a plunger rod adapted to be forcefully advanced, a head on the front end of the rod, a plurality of side by side indicia blocks removably secured to the face of the block, and tattoo needles projecting forwardly from said blocks in a pattern defining a free ends.

predetermined indicia; the head including a shoulder projecting forward from one edge, the shoulder having spaced slots in positions corresponding to those occupied by the blocks on the heads, tongues projecting from opposite ends of the blocks, the tongues at one end engaging in the slots, and a releasable hold-down bar mounted on the .block and normally engaging the tongues at the other end of the blocks.

2. A device for applying a tattoo identification mark to an animal, comprising an elongated barrel, a plungerrod extending in guided relation through the barrel, a stop fixed in the rear portion of the barrel, the rod sliding through the stop, a stop on the rod, some distance ahead of the rear portion of the barrel, ahelical compression spring in the barrel aboutthe. rod between said stops, manually releasable catch means cooperating with the rod to hold the latter retracted in cocked position, a tattooing unit on the front end of the rod ahead of the barrel, and a forwardly opening yoke having parallel legs on and projecting from the front end of the barrel; the tattooing unit including a cross head disposed to run in guided relation between opposite legsof said yoke. I

3. A device for applying a tattoo identification mark to an animal, comprising an elongated-bar rel, a plunger rod extending in guided relation through the barrel, a stop in the rear portion of the barrel, the rod sliding through the stop, a stop on the rod some distance ahead of therear portion of the barrel, a helical compression spring in the barrel about the rod between said stops, manually releasable catch means cooperating with the rod to hold the latter retracted incocked position, a tattooing unit onthe front end of the rod ahead of the barrel, and a forwardly opening yoke on and projecting from the front end of-the barrel; said yoke including legs having laterally outwardly projecting locator members on their CHARLES s. CRANE. ROBERT A. povE. REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record. in the file of this patent: J

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 230,073 Seyfarth July 13, 1880 1,845,036 Busher Feb. 16, 1932 1,851,672 Ker I Mar. 29, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date. 51,188 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1910 26,705. GreatBritain. ..-l 1913 

